Tyrant Thrones
"The great land of Turai, once the light of Yantir, now lies broken and torn, like a bloated corpse washed up on the shore. Where once the Thousand Isles held a thousand cities, now corsairs and slavers drift through the ruins, pawning the innocent in Gandara and Ossa. To the north, the abominations of Jishol glean the future from the blood of the living, and march in all directions with armies of the dead. To the east, the savages of Mhedi and their Wyrm Queen drive legions of slaves before them, shackled into ranks and whipped into battle. South, the rich lands of Sekelbeh, once the pantry of an empire, have become a feast for monsters who hide as men. The Golden City itself is no stranger to tyrrany, ruled by a boy who aspires to be a god. Warlords and Sorcerors have gnawed on the bones of what was, until the only sustenance left for their lavish courts is the blood of each other. Countless wars have bled this land, and now these same vultures look beyond for fresh blood to spill in their name. Cruel ships sail over the Gulf, raiding and enslaving, while bands of marauders penetrate our own lands, carrying away the faithful to a forsaken end. Even the desert folk, long accustomed to slavery and war, flee into the sands lest they themselves be taken. It was not always so. The Jewel of Vhir shone like a star on the world, before these lesser sons were born of their greater sires. Foolish kings sat in the halls of Turai, entertaining magi and soothsayers over emissaries, caring more for gilding than grain and obedience than loyalty. The hearts of the noble grew faint with despair, while the hearts of the wicked grew fat with ambition. Savages pressed against borders once held by strong walls and stronger warriors, while the ruthless seized cities humbled by peace. '' ''Let the corpse of Turai be a message to all the Exalted Houses, all the sons of the Saints. It is not hosts or armies that bring true destruction, but weakness when there must be vigilance, and idleness when there must be justice." - Surros Ilms, chronicler of Uvirith The Thrones The Tyrant Thrones collectively make up the region of Vhir that was once the Realm of Turai. Although countless cities once dotted this area, only a few remain worthy of mentioning. Below are the various factions of the region, along with the cities they control: The Gandaran Republic * Gandara The Golden Throne * Turai The Jisholi Seers * Jishol The Mhedian Tribes * Mhedi * Ossa The Satrapy of Sekelbeh * Sekelbeh Shrine of the rising phoenix by tituslunter-d5e36bd.jpg|Many things were lost when Old Turai fell, some of which should not have been forgotten Night ride by raphael lacoste-d66nh9d.jpg|Peace and simple living are enjoyed by those fortunate enough to live far away from the plots and wars of rulers Pvparmourdemonologist.jpg|Magic is often a force of oppression, and is thus of value for the ambitious. 400px--Paragon- concept art.jpg|The glories of Old Turai can be glimpsed in the armor and clothing of the nobility The black stone by hugo richard-d7lgofn.jpg|For some, pain and sacrifice are the price of power, and the cost of magic ageofconan_environment_environment_concept_04.jpg|In halls of marble and jade the kings of Old Turai held their courts Dying_earth__Jack_Vance_by_MarcSimonetti.jpg|Runaway slaves can often be worth a year's wages, turning a crowd of onlookers into a pack of bloodhounds city_in_the_desert_by_digital_fantasy-d4v97pe.jpg|The walls that once protected Old Turai from the eastern nomads now stand abandoned, a vestige of a safer age papirusfloat.jpg|On wicker rafts fishermen drift through mangrove swamps, out of reach of Gandaran slavers and hungry crocodiles ageofconan_character_monster_iron_statues_human_state.jpg|For some who take up the mercenary life, blood becomes sport as gold becomes meaningless ageofconan_environment_old_tarantia_gates.jpg|High walls and strong towers offer protection to the free, but are prisons to the slaves within. grumpy_by_ralvar-d7j2ffo.jpg|Although generally split into five provinces, it is to the dozens of local lords that free men and slaves alike pay toil and tribute ageofconan_prop_armour_turanian_armour.jpg|With riches equaling their cruelty, the warlords of the Thrones fight over the remnants of Old Turai the_city_of_indraprastha_by_jackfrozz-d581g8i.jpg|Hidden away within the Thousand Isles, the ruins of fabulous cities lie in forgotten coves, offering shelter and riches to those lucky enough to find them mouse_by_yanqi917_devart.jpg|The races of the Thrones may be diverse, but their lives are rarely so. From Ratfolk to Dragonborn, conflict and violence define life, and end it. History The Realm of Turai Old Turai, an ancient kingdom known widely as the Jewel of Vhir, sprawled across the eastern shore of the Gulf of Yantir. Encompassing the entirety of the Thousand Isles and lands from Marand to the Spitting Peaks, Turai was the main economic and military power in the region. Old Turai reached its zenith around the start of the Long Night, unaffected as it was by the vampire crusades in north Etan. Over the next several hundred years Turai enjoyed prosperity and growth, and the population within its borders boomed. Indeed, Turai held one of the largest populations in Vhir, vastly outnumbering the Quel'Doran Colonies to the North or the Dragonborn to the east. This is due in part to Turai's acquisition of the lands of Sekelbeh, which provided a titanic amount of food for the realm. Its population combined with the vast natural resources of the region, as well as shrewd governance meant that Turai enjoyed unparalleled wealth, its cities bedecked in gold and fine art, its nobles rich in clothing and culture. The Dimming of the Light (500 LN - 620 LN) Although Turai enjoyed wealth, prosperity and military dominance, the seeds of its downfall grew slowly from within. Impetus to carry out reforms and campaigns ebbed and died. The desert to the east proved difficult to capture and worthless to hold. The gulf itself was under control from the fortress of Gandara, and the lands south of Sekelbeh were lush but treacherous. The kings in Turai sat idly on their thrones, and politics and titles became more important the direct governance. In the east, desert barbarians that had been driven into the sands by Turai's armies massed under the banners of warlords, and pressed against the borders. The Satraps given the province of Sekelbeh began to exert more and more individual control, and charged ever more for shipments of food to feed the Thousand Isles. Meanwhile, the Mage's and Psionic's Colleges in Jishol began to delve into darker magics, and were no longer under the direct supervision or control of the Throne. The Fall of Turai came to a head when the eastern border collapsed, and thousands of nomads flooded into the countryside, looting and burning. They sacked the city of Jedur and burned it to the ground, before erecting their own city of Mhedi on the blackened plains. At this point Jishol declared that through divination they had predicted their own rise to greatness, and formally broke away from the Empire. Ossa quickly followed suit, hoping to make peace with the peoples in Mhedi before they marched south. Sekelbeh stopped their shipments of food, and thousands starved. The Admirals of Gandara were the last to revolt, and the loss of the fleet was the deathblow to Turai's military capabilities. Recent Events (620 LN - 1 DE) Wars rage, fields are burned, and the common man of the Thrones is drowned in the ambitions of its rulers. The conflicts within the Thrones have shown no signs of stopping since the collapse of Old Turai, and every province bar Sekelbeh is at war with at least one other. Land, slaves or simple prestige drive these wars, and as of yet no single ruler has elevated themselves to such a position as to be able to sop the fighting. The coming of the Exarchs To be continued..... Culture For information on the various merchants, mercenaries and other groups within the Thrones, see Organisations of the Thrones The Tyrant Thrones have not broken entirely with the customs of Old Turai. Many titles such as Satrap still hold power and prestige, and many of the cities still exhibit the customs and architecture of their ancient forebears. However, it is in the daily life of the Thrones that the most notable changes have taken place. Slavery, once a limited form of criminal punishment in Old Turai, dominates the region. Anywhere between 30 and 45% of people are enslaved to one master or another, and the trade of slaves is one of the regions largest economies. Aside from slavery, the Tyrant Thrones are in a state of constant warfare. The lands of Old Turai were rich an bountiful in metals both mundane and precious, as well as in arable land. These riches have attracted countless warlords, and over time many of the great cities in the region have fallen to bloody sieges and bloodier occupations. Peace and gentle living are hard to come by in the Thrones, but they do exist. Deep within the borders of the different states, away from the routes of raiding parties or the drums of armies, small hamlets and farming communities can exist in relative comfort, though they are mistrustful of strangers and keep their existence as much of a secret as possible. Even within the bustling cities kind souls harbour travelers, protecting them from the gangs of criminals or the cruel authorities. Religion While Old Turai had no official faith, most of its citizens worshiped some variation of the Ten. This has largely translated into the Thrones, though spirit worship is also quite common. Due to the massive importation of slaves from other nations, the exact doctrine of worship for different gods is extremely varied, even from city to city, or temple to temple. In addition, cults of the Archdevils have been on the rise in the Thrones, perhaps due to increased influence by the Devils themselves, or desperation on the part of the populace. Mercenaries For more information, see Mercenaries of the Thrones Profit through warfare is the mantra of many in the Tyrant Thrones, and although the individual leaders would not admit it, much of their power comes from distinguished mercenary companies, who hire themselves out to the highest bidder. The life of a mercenary has a fatal attraction for many young people in the Thrones, who see it not only as a way of improving their status, but also of learning how to protect their property and loved ones and arming themselves, or becoming wealthy enough, to do so. Peoples of the Thrones The Thrones are home to a wide variety of peoples and races. Although Old Turai was a realm mainly of humans, slavery and war has brought many strangers to this land. Indeed, almost any race found on Vhir can be found in the Thrones in large numbers, and many from outside the continent have formed flourishing communities. TieflingsCategory:Location The magical experimentation of Jishol and the perversions of Sekelbeh have created many Tieflings in the Thrones. Spreading their tainted blood over the generations, Tieflings have come to be regarded as one of the major races in the region. In addition, as a cause or consequence of the large Tiefling population, the worship of the Archdevils has been on the rise in the Thrones Ratfolk Originally imported and bred as cheap labour and soldiers, the Ratfolk population in the Thrones increased rapidly over the years, and many have escaped their shackles to become free mercenaries, pirates or businessmen, though rarely do Ratfolk opt for more peaceful professions such as farming or fishing. Half-Orcs Due to their ferocious resolve and warlike bearing, Half-Orcs were bred constantly once Old Turai dissolved and the civil wars began. As a result they have become a major race in the region. Catfolk Drifting up from the Homelands, many Catfolk have made a living within the Thrones, or by trading with Gandara, Ossa or Sekelbeh. Dragonborn Frustrated with the strictness of Dragonborn society, or simply looking for adventure, a sizeable number of Dragonborn have crossed the wastes or traveled north through the Nerevic Empire to reach the Thrones, becoming valued mercenaries or even more valued slaves, as their fortune might be. __NOINDEX__ Category:Turai Category:Yantir